1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the mounting of rolling bearings, whether angular or radial rolling bearings. In a particular exemplary field, the invention relates to rolling bearings mounted in the hub of a cycle, such as a bicycle.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
The use of rolling bearings is widely known in the field of cycles. In general, a rolling bearing includes an inner ring that is adjusted on the shaft, an outer ring that is positioned in the housing of the part adapted to rotate about the shaft and rolling elements which can be balls or rollers of any of various shapes. Installing rolling bearings requires various machining operations to prepare the surfaces which will receive the ball bearing races. These various machining operations are time-consuming and expensive. In addition, to achieve a precise mounting of the rolling bearings, it is necessary to adjust the backlash inside the bearing. A conventional solution for adjusting the backlash of the bearing involves using a backlash adjusting nut.
The use of a backlash adjusting nut requires having a threaded surface on the shaft. The threading of the shaft is also a difficult, time-consuming and expensive operation to carry out. Adjusting the backlash of the bearing using an adjusting nut has numerous disadvantages. First, it is necessary to make an adjusting nut, which is a complex machined part. Moreover, adjusting the backlash using the nut is a complex operation that requires a great deal of expertise insofar as an untrained user could overly tighten the nut, thus generating too much friction inside the rolling bearing, even too much pressure, which would cause an irreversible degradation of the bearing. Furthermore, using an adjusting nut is not a satisfactory solution insofar as this nut is capable of becoming loose, which would require adjusting the backlash once again.